Cloth-cutter.



Patented Nov. l4, I899. C. A. JACKSON. I

CLOTH CUTTER.

{Application filed May 18, 1899.)

2 Sh sets-Shem l,

No. 636,998. Patented Nov. l4, I899.

C. A. JACKSON.

CLOTH CUTTER.

(Application fllgd May 18, 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2',

m|| 1 l l-lllllllii 5 I m w fi i UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES A. JACKSON, OF LEBANON, NEW HAMPSHIRE, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOHENRY B. JACKSON, OF SAME PLACE.

CLOTH-CUTTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letterslatent No. 636,998, dated November14, 1899.

Application filed May 18, 1899. Serial No- '7l'7,322. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. JACKSON, a citizen of the United States,and a resident of Lebanon, in the county of Grafton and State of NewHampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCloth-Cutting Machines, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to improvements in that class of machines forcutting cloth and like material wherein an overhead-travelingpower-carriage and flexible shafting are used for transmitting power tothe cutting-knife.

r 5 In this class of machines but one flexible shaft has been used totransmit the power to the revolving knife, and it is evident in such aconstruction that since the cutting-machine itself is not fastened (morethan by its own weight) in any way to the tablevthe rotary motion of theflexible shaft has a tendency to and does often turnthe entirecutting-machine, base and all, on the table, causing great damage to thematerial cut or about to be cut,

2 5 and this turningof the entire machine will always take placewhenever the energy required to drive the mechanism for operating thecutter exceeds the energy required to turn the entire machine upon itsbase. It is found 0 by experience that it is impossible to keep smallpieces of cloth, threads, dirt, &c., from crowding behind thecutter-knife and flying into the gears. and wasted, and as acloth-cutter is made and intended to-slide and turn upon its base aseasily as possible it takes but a few pounds pressure to cause theentire cutting-machine to turn upon its base and cause the damage abovementioned.

To overcome the above-named objections, I employ two flexible shaftsrotating in opposite directions and transmitting equal power, so that sofar as revolving the machine is concerned the energy developed by therotary motion of one shaft is neutralized by the energy developed by therotary motion of the other shaft; or, in other words, the entire machinewhen the knife is revolving and in operation will have no more tendencyto turn upon its base than when the knife is not re- Volv in g, therebyred u cin g the liability to dam- Much power is thus consumedage andruin the material tobe cut to a minimum.

Afurther object of my invention is to provide a simple and efficienttraveling powercarriage for transmitting power to the flexible shafts;and a still further object of my invention is to provide a powerful andcompact cloth-cutting machine and one which may be easily manipulatedand by the use of which the danger of spoiling or injuring the materialto be operated upon may be practically eliminated.

The invention consists of the novel features of construction hereinafterset forth and described, and more particularly pointed out in the claimshereto appended.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the machine,partly broken away and partly in section, that part which is in sectionbeing taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 5. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of thebelting of the power-carriage reduced in size. Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe same. Fig. 4 is an enlarged plan of the under side of thepower-carriage, partly broken away. Fig. 5 is a plan View of thecloth-cutter, and Fig. 6 is a side view of the same. 5

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

A A denote pulleys suitably attached to the building, over which pulleystheendless belt a, made preferably of twisted leather, travels.

B is the power-carriage, made preferably of cast-iron and depending fromthe track 0, the said carriage being provided with lugs 12 I), having anannular groove lined with fiber graphite c. (1 cl denote caps having anannular groove likewise lined with fiber graphite 0 c and secured to thelugs b 11, forming with the latter collar-bearings through which thetrack 0 passes, whereby the said carriage is free to slide back andforth at the will of the operator to any point on the track, which is 5suitably attached to the building and which may be tightened or loosenedby means of the turnbuckle e.

L L, and M M denote pulleys made preferably of cast-iron and suitablymounted and I00 inclosed in said carriage, the former set of pulleys L Lbeing idlers. K and K denote the shafts, made preferably of steel, ofthe pulleys M and M, respectively. All the shafts of the pulleys L L andM M are journaled in hubs, preferably made integral with the carriage,as shown in Fig. 4. The hubsff andf f shown in said last-named figureare those for the shafts K and K, respectively. The hubs for the shaftsof the idler-pulleys are similar to those last mentioned, but are notshown in the drawings. The belt travels in the direction indicated bythe arrows in Fig. 1, and, more specifically stated, it passes throughthe opening 9 in the carriage, around the pulley M, thence around thepulley L and out through the opening g, around the pulley A, thencethrough an opening (not shown) in the carriage, around the pulley M,thence around the pulley L, out through an opening (not shown) in thecarriage, and around the pulley A to the point of beginning.

h h denote the flexible shafts, which may be attached to either end ofthe shafts K and K, respectively, as shown in Fig. 4, according to whichside of the carriage it is desired to have the power transmitted.

2' '11 denote sleeves around the shafts K and K and screw-threaded attheir lower ends. The ends of the shafts K and K are provided with slots7c 7;. The upper ends of the flexible shafts are provided with acircular top or cap j, having an annular groove or recessZ andttlarmlinating in a key l, adapted to fit into the s ot a.

m is a nut screw-threaded at its upper part and adapted to screw uponthe sleeve 7 and provided with an opening in its lower part and adaptedto fit around the annular groove or recess in the top of the flexibleshaft. By this means the flexible shafts h h are detachably connected,respectively, with the shafts K and K and free to revolve within thesleeve iand nut m, the last two parts being stationary.

n n are steel shafts rigidly attached to the flexible shafts 7th,respectively, and passing through the upper frame D of thecuttingmachine.

m m are collars keyed to the shafts n n and resting upon the frame I)for the purpose of supporting the said shafts. These shafts n n areprovided at their lower ends with bevel-gears 0 0, adapted to mesh withthe gears 19 19, respectively. The gears 19 p are secured together withthe spur-gear g on the shaft E, which passes through a portion of thelower frame F and is journaled in the cap G, which is fastened to theupper frame by means of the bolts r 1', thereby forming a cover for thegears 0 0, p p, and q. The frames D and F are made, preferably, ofbronze, and they are fastened together by means of the bolts 8 s. Thecap G on the reverse side is similar to that shown in the drawings. Thespur-gear q meshes with a gearwheel M, which is journaled on ascrew-stud o in the lower part of the frame F. The gearwheel it carriesthe cutting-knife H, said knife being fastened thereto by screws uponthe outer face of the gear-wheel u.

I denotes the base of the machine, J the knife-guard, and O the handle,of usual construction.

P denotes the table located under the track C, and Q layers of cloth orother like material to be cut.

R, S, and T denote ribs for imparting strength and solidity to themachine.

The mode of operation of the machine, so far as it has not been alreadydisclosed, is as follows: When power is transmitted to the belt a in thedirection indicated by the arrows in Fig. 1, the pulleys L L M M arecaused to rotate in the direction indicated by the arrows, therebycausing'the flexible shaft ing h h to rotate in the direction indicatedby the arrows and the knife to be rotated, as indicated by the arrow, bymeans of the gearwheels intermediate the gear-wheel u and thebevel-gears 0 o. By this construction equal power is transmitted throughthe shafts h and h, and the energy of the rotation of the oneneutralizes or balances that of the other, so far as revolving themachine is concerned, and thereby prevents the machine from turning uponits base.

The cutting-machine is moved by means of the handle in the usual mannerto any desired point on the table, the cloth to be cut riding up thebase, as in other cloth-cutting machines, the sliding carriage Bpermitting this mobility, as above indicated.

Vhat I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In a cloth or other like cutting machine,

. the combination of a cloth-cutter, a plurality of flexible shaftsrotating in opposite directions and operative connections between saidshafts and said cutter.

2. In a cloth or other like cutting machine, the combination of acloth-cutter, two flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions andoperative connections between said shafts and said cutter.

3. In a cloth or other like cutting machine, the combination of acloth-cutter, two flexible shafts rotating in opposite directions, and

connections between said shafts and cutter, said connections consistingsubstantially of bevel-gears and gear-wheels.

4. A cloth-cutting device consisting of an upper frame D, a lower frameF secured to said upper frame, a rotary knife in said lower frame,rotary shafts in said upper frame turning in opposite directions,mechanical connections between said shafts and said knife, and means fortransmitting power to said shafts, substantially as specified.

In witness whereof I have hereto affixed my signature, in the presenceof two witnesses, this 11th day of May, 1899.

CHARLES A. JACKSON.

Witnesses:

HARRY B. JAoKsoN, FREDERICK G. CARTER.

